New Saint-Gobain Technical Academy opens in Cavan

A new Technical Academy for the construction industry has been officially opened by An Taoiseach Brian Cowen at the Gypsum Industries manufacturing plant in Kingscourt, Co. Cavan.

The Saint-Gobain Technical Academy will be used by the Saint-Gobain flagship brands Gyproc, Isover, Weber, PAM and Ecophon. Each business is either a world leader or holds the number two position in each of its business sectors, according to Saint-Gobain.

Brian Dolan, Managing Director of the Gyproc and Isover companies in Ireland, said the Academy represents a significant investment by Saint Gobain in Ireland at a time of major uncertainty for the construction sector across the entire island.

“The decision to make this investment was not taken before the crisis, but after the crisis had arisen, and represents a vote of confidence by Saint Gobain in the medium and long term prospects of the construction sector in Ireland,” he said.

“We will use the Technical Academy to showcase the solutions offered by each of these brands and to train both our customers and Irish craftspeople in their use and application”, said Mr. Dolan, adding “Alongside the physical investment in the Academy, we have developed an interesting and exciting range of courses. These will be both practical and technical, depending on the requirements of the attendees. We have also invested a significant amount of time and effort in training our trainers, so that they will be well equipped to impart knowledge of all the Saint Gobain products and systems, and deal with all technical questions from visitors.”

Referring to the Government's programme for renovating and improving the existing building stock to improve their energy efficiency and meet sustainability standards, Mr. Dolan said: “Saint Gobain worldwide, thanks to its massive R&D spend and expertise, has a vast range of products to help with these challenges, including the most efficient mineral wool insulation solutions, external wall insulation systems, highly energy efficient glass solutions and the most technologically advanced photovoltaic systems.”

Mr Claude Alain Tardy, Director Gyproc activity worldwide said that on the island of Ireland, Gyproc is proud of its market leading position reflecting over 70 years of commitment to the construction sector.

The Saint-Gobain businesses on the island of Ireland comprise two manufacturing plants, the Gypsum Industries Gyproc facility in Kingscourt, and the Weber facility in Ballyclare, Co. Antrim. It also comprises the Isover, PAM and Ecophon commercial teams offering interior and exterior building solutions that match specific local needs. In total Saint-Gobain employs nearly 800 people on the island of Ireland.

Mr Tardy said the opening of the Saint-Gobain Technical Academy reaffirms the company's long-term commitment to these businesses and to the continued enhancement of construction solutions and technical skills available to customers in Ireland. The current crisis "has not and will not reduce the importance of Ireland as a major market for Saint-Gobain", he added.

He said the construction sector is at the dawn of a green revolution. Growing awareness of environmental issues, such as global warming, and the ever-increasing scarcity of natural resources, is driving countries towards introducing new energy-saving regulations in buildings. Sustainable development has become a key factor in product specification and Saint-Gobain has an extensive product portfolio equipped to meet this requirement.

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